Wee Bit Wednesday

{one} grilled or fried?

grilled. fried food rarely appeals to me anymore. 

{two} if you could change one thing about where you live, without worrying about money, what would you change?

I'd hire a professional to clean all of the windows and blinds. better yet, I'd have new windows installed so that we could actually open them. then I'd hire a designer to add some window treatments.

{three} what is your favorite time of day?

cuddle time.

{four} what's your favorite cereal? 

Fiber One Honey Clusters. Usually, they're way too expensive, but last week, thanks to a huge sale and a great coupon, I scored a box for $1.50 at Dominick's. holla. then I came home and patted my frugal self on the back.

{five} do you open your mouth when you put mascara on?

yes. open. and contorted.

{six} if you could make any fictional character come to life, who would it be?

Thursday Next.

{seven} what are your favorite pizza toppings?

pineapple and Canadian bacon. or Gorgonzola and pear.

{eight} are you a heavy or light sleeper?

somewhere in between. lighter than I used to be, but once I'm *really* asleep I can usually sleep through the sirens, trains, buses, and other city sounds outside my window.

{nine} what is your favorite board game? 

Scrabble. 

{ten} what star/celebrity do most people say you look like? 

the redhead from That 70s Show. I don't see it.

R-O-Y-G-B...

Now that I work out of a home office, days where I do not venture out of doors are more plentiful than I'd like to admit. It's far too easy to get comfortable...and lazy...indoors. Now that my favorite season has arrived, I want to be sure I get outside and enjoy it. Yesterday after work I gave myself an "assignment" as an incentive to get some fresh air: go for a walk with my camera, and capture shots that prominently feature each of the colors on the color wheel. Indigo and violet proved hard to find, but I found two blues for extra credit. Here are the things I noticed as I walked around my neighborhood on the lookout for color...

 

 

It Just Keeps Getting Better

Yesterday was my one year wedding anniversary. Last week as I looked through our wedding photos again all of the excitement, joy, wonder, and elation of that day came rushing back to me. Our wedding day was glorious, indeed, but it was just one day. That one day, however, launched a lifetime of us, the first year of which has been the best year of my life so far. 

Travis and I celebrated our first year of marriage in a number of different ways all weekend long. Since the traditional 1st anniversary gift is paper, I surprised him Friday evening with a blanket of origami hearts. We enjoyed a low-key, low-budget date night at home (we made pizza together and watched Letters to Juliet) to counter-balance our not-so-low-budget celebration to come on Sunday.

On Saturday we met up with Travis' sister and brother-in-law and our niece at the Apple Festival in Long Grove, followed by dinner at their place. Since my sister-in-law was instrumental in how Travis and I came to meet and fall in love, it seemed very fitting to spend part of our anniversary weekend with them. As we were driving away from Long Grove we were even blessed with the sight of a HUGE rainbow. We pulled over and I managed to get a shot, which captures just a portion of its size and beauty.

 This photo is 70% about my SIL and niece, and 30% about the people in the background who were dancing with their dachshunds.

When we arrived home Saturday night I found surprise number one waiting for me: a beautiful flower arrangement showcasing the colors of autumn that I love so much. Tucked in the arrangement was this sweet note from my thoughtful husband, which constituted his "paper" gift to me.

My love for you is like the colors of autumn:

Deep, Rich, Bright, and Warm.

I offer these flowers of the fall along with my heart.

- Hubby

Surprise number two (my hubby LOVES to surprise me) came Sunday afternoon in the form of where we went for dinner: Art Smith's Table 52 in Chicago, where we indulged in gourmet comfort food, including THE BEST macaroni and cheese EVER. So creamy and rich, however, that even between the two of us we only finished half the portion, and took the rest home. Though I had declared I couldn't possibly eat another bite of mac and cheese, when the dessert menu came, I pored over the options with great interest. Trav asked how could this be, when I had just announced myself stuffed? I explained that "dinner food" requires its own distinct space in the stomach, while dessert (especially chocolate) possesses the ability to simply fill in the cracks and crevices around the rest of the meal, and so there is virtually always room for dessert. He shook his head at me in wonder and bemusement, and then agreed to share a slice of the 12-layer chocolate cake. He's a good man.

Dinner was followed by the Broadway in Chicago production of The Lion King at the Cadillac Palace Theatre. I've wanted to see this show for years and years. It was both familiar (in story and music) and brand new (in amazing costumes and voices and gorgeous set design) and held my rapt attention from start to finish.

 The whole weekend was a wonderful celebration of our first year as husband and wife. And as one of "our songs" (Amazed by Lonestar) rightly says, It just keeps getting better.

Autumn in Maine

At the end of last week I spent a few days in Maine for work. The leaves there were a little ahead of the Chicago area in terms of changing, but still a couple weeks away from "peak" color. Nevertheless, it was beautiful to spend a few days in a place where the land undulates and the trees WAY outnumber the people. This shot was taken on a misty morning, looking down the road from the home where we held our meetings.